Episode Description:

In this episode of The Seat, host Ray Erickson sits down with Brie Thomas, Senior Vice President of Sales at Swoop, for a candid conversation about trust, leadership evolution, and building high-performing teams in complex environments. Brie traces her career from selling radio spots at iHeartMedia to navigating digital startups, becoming a player-coach, and ultimately leading revenue teams in one of the most regulated sectors in advertising, healthcare. Along the way, she shares how her leadership style evolved, why trust is the foundation of effective teams, and what aspiring sales leaders often misunderstand about long-term success.

The conversation explores empathy in leadership, managing through self-doubt, motivating without micromanaging, and how sellers can future-proof their careers in a rapidly changing media landscape. A must-listen for sellers stepping into management and leaders focused on building durable, people-first organizations.

Key Themes:

• Building trust as the foundation of leadership
• Transitioning from individual contributor to player-coach
• Leading without micromanagement
• Managing self-doubt and imposter syndrome
• Motivating teams in high-pressure environments
• Navigating regulated industries with integrity
• What aspiring sales leaders often get wrong
• Empathy, energy, and accountability in leadership

Chapter Breakdown:

00:00 - Trust as the foundation of leadership

02:00 - First sales role at iHeartMedia

03:45 - Creativity, competition, and early selling lessons

06:15 - Relationship-driven selling vs product pitching

08:40 - Knowing you’re built for sales

10:55 - Transitioning into leadership roles

14:50 - What changes from IC to manager

17:20 - Trust, motivation, and avoiding micromanagement

21:00 - Managing self-doubt and imposter syndrome

29:35 - Advice for aspiring sales leaders

Keywords:

sales leadership, revenue leadership, women in sales, media sales, ad tech careers, healthcare advertising, leadership development, trust in leadership, sales management, player coach, career growth, empathy in leadership, sales mentorship, digital media careers

Guest Bio:

Brie Thomas is the Senior Vice President of Sales at Swoop, where she leads revenue growth and client partnerships in healthcare advertising, one of the most regulated and complex areas of the media ecosystem. With a career spanning over two decades, Brie began in traditional media sales at iHeartMedia before transitioning into digital advertising, startups, and leadership roles. She has progressed from individual contributor to player-coach, VP, and senior executive, earning a reputation for trust-driven leadership, empathy, and building high-performing teams. At Swoop, Brie has played a key role in the company’s evolution into a market leader, helping advertisers reach patients responsibly through privacy-first, data-driven solutions.

Host Bio:

Ray Erickson is the host and creator of The Seat and a veteran sales and revenue leader with over 20 years of experience across media, ad tech, and streaming.

Ray has held senior leadership roles at companies including Samsung Ads, Conversant, Sizmek, and Victory+, where he built and scaled high-performing sales organizations. Through The Seat, Ray sits down with revenue leaders to unpack the journeys, setbacks, and leadership lessons that shape how executives lead today.

Social Links:

Instagram: @theseat.pod

TikTok: @theseat.pod

LinkedIn: The Seat Podcast (LinkedIn Page)

Host: Ray Erickson (LinkedIn)

Listen: Apple Podcasts / Spotify / iHeart / Acast

Swoop Website:

https://swoop.com/

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